Did you know that all our custom-designed adaptive clothing is made in Australia?
Sometimes there's a misconception that manufacturing overseas is always cheaper, so we often get the question around why we choose to keep our manufacturing here in Australia.
Here are some reasons why we choose to keep it on-shore.
It allows us the ability to work closely with the pattern-maker and sewist to ensure our designs are fit-for purpose
Designing adaptive and accessible clothing requires a lot of testing, thinking outside the box and being able to explain to the people who make the patterns why and how the functions are so important. Garment design has a set of parameters that make standard patterns fit. When trying to adapt how the garment opens in a new way, there's a lot of elements that the pattern-maker needs to factor in. Working in-person and with someone in the country means we have a good working relationship.
Australian manufacturers offer a lower minimum quantity per order which keeps costs down, as well as not over-producing garments
Most manufacturers overseas have a minimum order quantity of 500 per design, and sometimes that's only in one colour. As a small brand, we don't have the ability to invest in that many pieces, nor do we want to have so many garments made if we don't sell them. Brighter Day operates as a slow fashion label and we usually make between 30-50 of each garment at one time. As we grow, there will be a time that we can produce more but we'll only do that in response to the demand of our garments.
Logistics timeframes and freight charges internationally have hugely increased since 2020.
When covid-19 affected sea freight activity our reliance on international logistics became a glaring problem. Although shipping timeframes have somewhat recovered, the costs associated have increased dramatically.
We have spoken to and met every person involved in making our garments. The workers are paid fair wages and work in safe conditions.
Our team includes people who design, cut, sew, and press our samples and final garments. We meet with them throughout the various stages of the process and visit their premise and see them actually working. In an industry that has been largely built on the labour of people working in horrific and unsafe conditions, and being grossly underpaid, we want to ensure our garments aren't contributing to that.
We love supporting Australian jobs and businesses! Almost all of the people involved in the designing, manufacturing and creative aspects of these garments are female-owned small businesses and we absolutely love being able to support them.
Garment production and manufacturing in Australia is a small industry that is made up of a lot of small businesses. Extending past the actual clothing, we are proud to support other small business creatives that include copywriting, digital artists, photographers, and those who provide labels and accessories.
Overall we love to see our business grow alongside other small businesses in Australian manufacturing! Adaptive clothing is a small but growing segment of fashion here in Australia! We hope you love to support Australian Made products and small business too!
